ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF EUPHORBIA HIRTA L.: A CONCISE REVIEW

Euphorbia hirta L. (family Euphorbiaceae), a common tropical herb used in traditional medicine, has attracted research interest for antimicrobial properties including antifungal activity. This review summarizes published in vitro and limited in vivo evidence for antifungal effects of extracts and isolated phytochemicals from E. hirta, outlines common experimental approaches and reported activity against clinically and agriculturally important fungi, and highlights knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Overall, multiple studies report inhibitory activity of leaf, stem and flower extracts (various solvents) against yeasts (notably Candida spp.), filamentous fungi (e.g., Aspergillus, Fusarium) and dermatophytes, attributable to mixtures of flavonoids, tannins, saponins and terpenoids; however, study design heterogeneity, variable reporting of concentrations/MICs, and limited mechanistic work prevent definitive conclusions about clinical utility.